Across the U.S., tinkerers are turning ordinary objects into original home-built vehicles. From bar stools to power tools, here are the weird and wacky ways DIYers are satisfying their need for speed.

Bar-Stool Races

Bar-Stool Races

Where:Drummond, Wis.

Many have barked brazen words from atop a bar stool. But only the truly intrepid add skis and take the souped-up seat for a ride down a snowy slope. The stools must be at least 27 inches tall, and contestants have to stay seated for the one-fifth-of-a-mile sprint. The sitting rule began in 2000 primarily for rider protection, though staying seated also lowers the center of gravity, which increases stability and speed.

Collegiate Concrete Canoe Races

Collegiate Concrete Canoe Races

Where:Regionals nationwide

To create the concrete boats for the championship "America's Cup of Civil Engineering," competitors use concrete made of expanded glass spheres, multiple cementitious materials, and specialized admixtures. Teams spend upward of 4600 hours researching, constructing, and training. "You're out there on the lake with 20 other teams, and everyone's waiting to see which canoes turn into submarines and which will take it away, usually determined by tenths of a second," says Cal Poly alumnus Kyle Marshall, who competed for four years.